Santa Quotes - 11 quotes

Share

Santa

Santa Claus is a legendary figure celebrated primarily in Western culture during Christmas. He's known for travelling the world bringing gifts to well-behaved children on the night of December 24th (Christmas Eve). Santa is symbolized by his jolly demeanor, red suit trimmed with white fur, black boots, and a long white beard. Santa is said to reside at the North Pole, where he lives with Mrs. Claus and a team of magical elves who help him make toys. Santa's sleigh is traditionally pulled by nine reindeer, including the famous Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back to Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century Greek bishop from Myra (modern-day Turkey). Saint Nicholas was known for his generosity and kindness to the poor, especially to children. The Dutch celebration of Sinterklaas played a significant role in shaping the modern image of Santa. Dutch settlers brought these traditions to America in the 17th century. The modern depiction of Santa Claus as we know him today was popularized in the 19th century, particularly by Clement Clarke Moore's 1823 poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (commonly known as "The Night Before Christmas"), and illustrations by Thomas Nast. Santa Claus is intended to embody the spirit of generosity, joy, and the magic of the holiday season.

quote icon They err who think Santa Claus enters through the chimney. He enters through the heart.

- Charles W. Howard

Share

quote icon o say there is no Santa Claus is the most erroneous statement in the world. Santa Claus is a thought that is passed from generation to generation. After time this thought takes on a human form. Maybe if all children and adults understand the symbolism of this thought we can actually attain Peace on Earth and good will to men everywhere.

- Charles W. Howard

Share

quote icon Santa Claus is anyone who loves another and seeks to make them happy; who gives himself by thought or word or deed in every gift that he bestows; who shares his joys with those who are sad; whose hand is never closed against the needy; whose arm is ever outstretched to aid the week; whose sympathy is quick and genuine in time of trouble; who recognizes a comrade and brother in every man he meets upon life's common road; who lives his life throughout the entire year in the Christmas spirit.

- Edwin Osgood Grover

Share

quote icon Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

- Francis Pharcellus Church

Share

quote icon Our culture expects parents, basically, to lie to our children that their presents were left by a jolly fat man who flies in a sleigh pulled by reindeer through the sky. And so of course one might ask, is this OK? We all surely want our children to grow up to be honest people. Shouldn’t we set a good example, as far as possible, by telling them the truth? To which I would say: well, no. We shouldn’t be honest about Santa – at least not at first. It is morally OK, to the point of being actively morally good, for parents to participate in the grand Santa lie.

Share

quote icon When you think back to your first experiences of Christmas, do you really think they would have been improved if your parents had been honest about Santa? Without that sweet embellishment, there would be no ritual of writing to him, of leaving out sherry and mince pies, of waiting desperately to see if “he’s been” on Christmas morning.

Share

quote icon Without the Santa myth, what would Christmas for the average child even be? An arbitrary date when they are finally allowed to play with presents their parents maybe bought months in advance. What would be the point?

Share

quote icon As we’re growing up, we probably do on some level need to believe that the world is good and just: the sort of place where a jolly man runs a workshop staffed by elves, rewarding the nice children and (lightly) punishing the naughty.

Share

quote icon And when our children do finally see through the myth? This is surely good for their moral development as well. It was very positive for me to realise that I had seen through my parents’ lies. I didn’t feel angry at them – and research suggests only a minority of children do, in this situation. Instead, I was left with a healthy suspicion for the received wisdom being ventriloquised by my parents.

Share

quote icon This I guess is the extent to which I think lying about Santa is justified. Parents should surely maintain the myth while their children remain small, but answer honestly when confronted directly. When a child finally asks, at the age of six or seven, “is Santa real?” – that’s when they no longer need the noble lie.

Share

quote icon Ultimately in raising children, our concern should always be with how we are shaping them. If we want to raise critical citizens, with a powerful sense that the world can be improved – and with a healthy suspicion of those in charge – the Santa myth is surely one mechanism through which this might possibly be achieved.

Share